Explosive fire-alarm.



No. 693,229. Patntad Feb. ll, i902.

C. E. BUELL.

EXPLOSIJl-l-Zv FIRE ALARM.

(Application led Apr. 18, 1901.)

(No Model.)-

W/ TNE SSE S NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BUELL, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, vNEW JERSEY.

E XPLOSIVE FIRE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 693,229, dated February 11., 1902.

Application iiled April 18,

To @ZZ whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BUELL, of North Plainfield, Somerset county, State of New Jersey, have invented Improvements in Explosive Fire-Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a detonating fire-alarm that can be placed in apartments supported upon picture-frames, moldings, furniture, or secured to the walls and adapted to be ignited and fired by a temperature which is slightly above natural temperatures, as would be caused by an incipient fire, and to give an alarm by the explosion of a suitable charge of detonating powder or compounds for making a loud report.

My invention consists, primarily, in the combination, with a chamber for containing` a charge of explosive material, of a primer for igniting and firing the contents of the chamber, means for excluding the surrounding atmosphere from the contents and the primeruntil the device is acted upon by the heat of a fire, and means for suspending and supporting the device, substantially as hereinafter described.

My invention further consists in certain combinations and subcombinations to be hereinafter described. v

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l shows an alarm device in cross-section arranged according to my invention. Fig. 2 shows the same in side elevation. Fig. 3 shows the details of the said device before being assembled. Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the device shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a body B, of ductile metal or fibrous material, adapted to be secured to the Wall of an apartment, to a picture-frame, or to a molding by the screw s and to then receive the cartridge C and thereafter to have the cover S secured thereon by being screwed upon the said body. The body B is shown as representing the cup portion of an acorn 'and the completed structure made -to be in appearance -like a large acorn for purposes of ornamentation.

By making the body B of ductile metal or fibrous material-as paper, wood, ite-there will be a less liability to damage from pieces thrown by the explosion of the charge in said body when it is set off by the heat of a fire.

1901. saranno. 56.374. ormoni.)

By having the body B'cons'tructed as shown it is convenient to secure the same in position by the screw s and to then insert lthe desired charge of explosive in the form of a cartridge C and to inclose the body and its contained cartridge by a shell S to complete the structure. f v

The cartridge C is shown as an ordinary metallic shell having an indentation il adapted to receive and retain a mass of easily-ignited'compound, as a phosphorous compound for the purpose of quickly firing the contentsof the shell C. The contents of the cartridgeshell can be a small quantity of an easilyiired fulminate surrounding the primer compound in the identation c', but separated from the primer compound by the metal shell of the cartridge. The taking fire of the primer compound quickly heats the fulminate within the shell to its exploding-point, which is not very much above that of the primer compound as ordinarily employed. The firing of the fulminate sets off a charge or denoting4 material within the shell and in communication with the fulminate therein. This detonating material can be any of the wellknown compounds or powders used for making loud reports in cannon-crackers and other devices for producing loud reports, and gunpowder and specially-prepared powders can be employed.

By employing a primer compound at 1l and a fulminate within the shell an advantage is had in the security against failure to operate the device iu an incipient fire, for if the-primer compound should not act at the desired temperature there Willbe an explosionof the fulminate, due to the heat of the fire after an increase of a few degrees above that for which the primer compound was designed to ignite.

The primer compoundin indentation t' is designed to be adapted to swell and expand when heated and to thereafter be ignited in the ordinary atmosphere. The mass of compound in the indentation issealed from the surrounding atmosphere by a layer of imperlvious material that will be removed by the action of heat and by the swelling ofthe contents of the indentation 't' or will be ruptured by the effects of heat to exposethe primer compound to the surrounding atmosphere to become ignited. It is understood that the IOO said primer compound can be adhered to a cartridge which is not provided with the indentation ,and thus coated and overlaid; but it is preferred to partially inclose said compound in an indentation to better hold it in proper relation to the fulminate and to guard it from beingdisturbed and dislodged by accident. The outer covering or cap S is shown of the parts b and c joined together by an easily-fusible solder at j. The part Z) is screw-threaded for securing the device to the body B and is provided with a shoulder-like feature atjfor holding the cartridge C firmly in place within the bodyB to cause the body B, cartridge C, and the cap-shells to be burst by the explosion of the contents of the cartridge rather than to have the cartridge be dislodged when it is fired.

The part cci: capS is adapted t0 be removed by spring s when unsoldered from the part b and to expose theprimerat the indentation 'L' to the surrounding heated atmosphere; but until the said cap is thus removed by heat it protects said primer compound from the action of the surroundingatmosphere, with advantageous results. Instead of making this cap S in two parts by soldering c to Z) the cap c can be wholly of fusible material and be secured to part b. Y

By the employment of a containing-body B and a cartridge C that can be introduced therein when the said body is placed in position the several parts can be shipped separately and the liability to accident inputting up the devices will be avoided.

In the form shown in Fig. 4.- the cap cscrews into the body B and carries a small tubelike primer member for-containing a mass of primer compound sealed over to exclude it from the surrounding atmosphere. The charge of explosive can be of gunpowder, guncotton, or any suitable explosive in communication with the contents of the primer p.

The hook h can be secured to the body B by a screw s for supporting the device by hanging it to a desired support.

What I claim is- 1. A thermally-actuated apparatus having a charge of explosive material within a containing member, a primer for firing said charge, that is excluded from the surrounding atmosphere and is adapted to be exploded by heat transmitted through the excluding medium; a second primer upon the exterior of the member that contains the first-named primer, means for sealing the lastnamed primer from the surrounding atmosphere that is adapted to be ruptured by heat to expose said primer to the surrounding atmosphere, and a supporting device for suspending the said apparatus in an apartment.

` 2. A'n alarm device consisting of a body, means for securing said body to the wall and furniture of an apartment, an explosive charge adapted to be inserted in said body after the body has been secured in position, and a primer for said charge that is sealed from the surroundingatmosphere, and adapted to be fired by heat transmitted through the sealing medium.

3. An alarm device`having a confined explosive charge, an easily-fired primer that is confined with said charge and adapted to be tired by heat transmitted through the confining medium, and that is adapted to set off said charge when acted upon by the heatof an incipient fire, means for excluding the su rrou ndin g atmosphere from said charge and said primer that serves to secure said charge and confined primer in position and is provided with a member that is removable by the heat of an incipient fire, and a means for suspending said alarm device in an apartment.

4. The combination with the body B, of an alarm apparatus, of the supporting member 3, adapted to be secured to its support before the body B, is charged, an easily-fired cartridge C, comprising a detonating charge of explosive andamore-easily-iired primer within said cartridge that is adapted to be iired by heat transmitted through the shell ofthe cartridge which thus constituted is adapted to be inserted in said body, a primer i', for hastening the firing of said cartridge, and a cap S, for securing said cartridge in the body B, and for normally excluding the surrounding atmosphere from said primer that is adapted to be ruptured and removed by the heat of an incipient fire.

5. An alarm apparatus comprising a body of ductile metal, means for suspending said body to the Walls and furniture of an apartment, a charge of explosive in a metal shell inserted in said body, a primer for said charge that is inclosed therewith and adapted to be ignited by transmitted heat, an ignitible primer adhered to the exterior of said metallic shell and adapted to be ignited by heat without contact of Iiame, and a shell-like cover provided with shoulders and adapted to be secured to said body to hold said cartridge during the period of explosion.

6. An alarm apparatus having a body that is provided with means for suspending said body to the walls and furniture, of an apartment, a cartridge inserted in said body, a primer within said cartridge, an igniting-primer adhered to the exterior of said cartridge, means for excluding the igniting-primer from the surrounding air said excluding member being removable by transmitted heat without contact of flame, and a device for securing the said cartridge in said body.

7. An alarm apparatus comprisingabody, adapted to be secured to the walls and furniture of an apartment, a cartridge C, adapted to be inserted in the secured body, an inclosed primer for said cartridge, and a shell S, adapted to be screwed upon said body for securing the said cartridge in said body, that is provided with a cap that is removable by heat.

8. A cartridge for heat-actuated. alarms IOO IIO

comprising a charge of detonating explosive adapted to be ignited and fired by transmitted heat without the Contact of flame, a pri-` ing atmosphere and is adapted to be ired by heat transmitted through the sealing medium.

10. An alarm device that comprises a supporting member, an explosive charge secured to the supporting member, and inclosed from the surrounding atmosphere, and an easilyfired primer in communication with said charge, and that is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere, and is adapted to be red by heat transmitted through the sealing medium for ring the explosive charge.

CHARLES E. BUELL. Witnesses:

WM. C. BUELL, A. C. BUELL. 

